


Pet Me

by neckspike



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Empathy, Gen, petting, soft fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 07:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14890268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neckspike/pseuds/neckspike
Summary: When Parad is confined to the CR offices after the end of Ex-Aid, he has a lot of trouble dealing with boredom and frustration that wears on both him and Emu. After a minor disaster they make up.





	Pet Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aquabluejay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabluejay/gifts).



> This is a scene that's going to be in something larger, but aquabluejay was talking about Emu petting Parad and it was soft and nice so I wrote this scene and liked it enough to post on it's own. Same timeline as "Emu is a Meme', this takes place in the months while Parad was confined to the CR offices and not dealing with it very well. 
> 
> The disaster he caused? That's a story for another time...

That frustrated, anxious feeling grew stronger as the elevator descended and Emu had to remind himself it wasn’t his own emotions he was feeling. Not entirely, anyway. It was distressingly easy to get into an escalating feedback loop of his own frustration with Parad’s behavior feeding into Parad’s frustration with being stuck in the CR offices feeling bored and useless.

He tried to push yesterday out of his mind. The screaming, the tears, the angry words, all of it. He was going to be calm and collected, and he wasn’t going to think too hard about how that advice had come from an article on training dogs.

When the elevator dinged the air was so heavy with unpleasant emotions he felt as though he could cut it into bricks. The floor was dark, the main lights having turned themselves off automatically. They flickered back on as the motion sensors picked him up stepping out of the elevator.

Parad was sitting on the red couch, knees pulled up to his chest and intensely focused on his handheld. He didn’t look up or react when Emu approached him. He didn’t respond when Emu called his name, or when Emu sat down next to him. He stayed resolutely unmoved until Emu got up on his knees and embraced him.

“What are you doing?” He asked, the question muffled in Emu’s shoulder.

Emu only squeezed him a little tighter in reply, moving his right hand to Parad’s head and pressing him closer. Parad didn’t resist. He could feel hints of regret from Emu, scraps of sadness, guilt, anger, but also something warmer. When the doctor started stroking his hair it felt pleasant and vaguely familiar. The repetitive motion tugged at some fuzzy, long ago memory that slipped away again before it came to the surface where he could see what it was. Despite himself, the soothing motion was relaxing him..

“I’m sorry.” Emu said, voice half choked and muffled in Parad’s collar. “I know you’re trying, I know it’s really difficult. I’m really sorry.”

The emotions he could feel coming from Emu were too much. Parad shifted, unfolding himself and carefully returning Emu’s embrace. It was too hard to pretend not to care when he could feel the other man’s guilt and sorrow, and hard as it was to believe, genuine affection for him. He didn’t entirely understand it, but it was impossible to argue with what he could feel through the strange connection they shared.

As much as confinement and stress was driving him crazy, as much as he wanted to just teleport away from this place where he was always in the way and no one had any time for him, Emu was here. He hadn’t understood why he wanted to see Emu so badly, ever since the night they’d been separated. Hadn’t understood what it meant to miss someone. But Emu made him feel whole, like he belonged.

“‘m sorry, too.” Parad mumbled softly, and meant it. He’d regretted yesterday’s words almost as soon as he’d said them, feeling the cold jolt of pain they’d caused Emu.

“It’s not your fault.” Emu said, pulling away and sitting up. His eyes were red and he wiped at them as he sniffed. “I did promise you wouldn’t be lonely anymore.”

“I know better than to wind Kuroto up.” Parad replied, smiling sheepishly. “I’ll do better, I promise.” Emu smiled at him.

“I’ll make more time for you. It’s only another month until the Ministry will review your case, we can make it until then.” Emu said. Parad pulled him back into his arms, resting his head on Emu’s shoulder again.

“Would you touch my hair again? That was nice.” Parad asked.

“Sure.” Emu laughed softly and ran his hand through the Bugster’s loose black curls, feeling them slip back into place as his fingers passed through. Parad sighed contentedly and slumped against him, arms loosely wrapped around Emu’s back. “You like that, huh?”

“Mmm. Feels nice, kinda familiar.” Parad murmured.

“Do you remember being in the hospital, when we were little? After the accident?” Emu’s soft words tickled his memory and it surfaced all at once. The antiseptic smells. Lying half awake in a hospital bed, drifting in and out of sleep. And large, gentle hands that stroked his head and spoke softly to him.

“Oh.” Parad said softly. “Mom and Dad.” It was a warm memory, even if their concern had really been for Emu and not for him. Emu knew him, now. And Emu’s gentle touch and kind feelings were for him. Staying like this forever wouldn’t be so bad.

Emu’s stomach ruined the moment by growling, loudly.

“Emuuuuuuu, you gotta eaaaaaaaaaat.” Parad whined in an exaggerated tone, shaking the doctor back and forth. “You gotta eat or you’ll DIE and then I’d never forgive you.”

“Okay, okay! Stop shaking me!” Emu replied, laughing. “I’ll see you tomorrow, ok? So be good.”

“Okay but you gotta pet me tomorrow, too.” Parad pouted.

“I think I can handle that.” Emu smiled, and ruffled the Bugster’s hair again.


End file.
